Idol (entertainment term)

Synonyms:	k-idol, j-idol, c-idol
See also:	Category:Idol, Category:K-Pop People and Groups
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

An idol is a celebrity entertainer with a variety of talents who has also been marketed for their appearance and charisma. The term typically refers to such entertainers within the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese industries, a large portion of whom are also musicians of some sort. These entertainment industries typically scout for potential candidates to be marketed as an idol; many are scouted are as young as 13-years old, though fans both domestic and international alike have criticized the effect this has on young people's development and health.

Significantly, many are in groups, referred to as an "idol group" rather than a musical group or band. These groups consist of members, all of whom are idols, though being in a group they may be noted for their particular strengths in the group dynamic rather than as an individual idol. While most idols and idol groups are usually known for their musical releases and performances, many are also actors, song-writers, choreographers, variety/talk show hosts, models, and other jobs that require them to be in the public eye. They tend to skew young; an idol past the age of 35 may be considered "old."

Typical idol talents include:

• Singing; musical proficiency
• Dancing
• Rapping
• Charisma/personality
• Good looks/appearance (see ulzzangs)

Japanese Idols

• AV Idols (adult videos)
• Bandols (band idols), music-focused idols
• Gravure idols (models)
• Idol voice actors
• Johnny's, male idols under Johnny & Associates
• Net idols (internet celebrities); may be comparable to influencers/content creators in the west
• Virtual idols; many known ones are Vocaloid idols, such as Hatsune Miku
• Underground idols, who are similar to independent musical artists

Korean Idols

See K-pop; nearly every k-pop entertainer is an idol.

Chinese Idols

The rise of k-pop has largely influenced Chinese idol culture, which started taking inspiration and tactics from the k-pop industry. This in particular was due to the creation of Super Junior-M, a Chinese-focused subgroup of the k-pop group, Super Junior, dedicated to market toward Chinese audiences in 2008. The tactic was enforced once again by SM Entertainment with the creation of EXO-M upon EXO's debut in 2012.

As a result, Chinese idol survival shows were created and have become popular, such as Super Girl, Idol Producer, and Produce 101 China.